Boxer Chris Eubank Jr Wears Rainbow Armband
January 22, 2023British boxer Chris Eubank Jr wore a rainbow armband in support of the LGBTQ+ community while attending his weigh-in for his fight agaisnt Liam Smith.
On January 19, the two middleweight fighters participated in a press conference ahead of their match, according to Gay Times.
Image Credit: Pixabay
The meeting was tense but things took a homophobic turn when Smith made childish assumptions about Eubank Jr’s sexuality.
“You go on about girls, has anybody in this room ever seen you with a girl? You got something to tell us?” the Liverpool-based boxer said.
In response, Eubank Jr effortlessly shut down Smith’s anti-gay remarks by stating this his “private life” was “irrelevant to the boxing.”
“I am happy and comfortable. What would you like to know, Liam? If you want to get personal, talking about being gay? I’ve been told you cheat on your wife,” he added.
A day after the press conference, Eubank Jr showcased his support for the LGBTQ+ community when he sported a rainbow armband during the pre-fight weigh-in.
“We don’t discriminate… we don’t alienate. We want boxing & sport as a whole, to be all-inclusive,” Eubank Jr tweeted alongside a photo of him wearing the band.
Shortly after, fans flocked to social media to shower the boxer with praises. One fan wrote: “The way you conducted yourself in the exchange of words was class, smart and professional.”
Another person tweeted: “Well done Chris, wasn’t really much of a fan before, but this changes things. Respect for using your platform for good.”
Even Stonewall UK commented on the gesture by calling on the British Boxing Board to take action against Smith. “Homophobic, biphobic, and transphobic comments have no place in sport. It’s vital that the sports authorities take instances like this seriously and make clear that anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric will not be tolerated by taking decisive action,” a spokesperson told said in an interview.
Following Eubank Jr and Smith’s grudge match on Saturday (January 21), the latter responded to the backlash by apologizing during his post-fight interview. “I apologize to anyone offended by what I said. I’m not homophobic in any way, shape or form, I’m far from it. That’s not me as a man,” Smith said. “If anyone’s offended and I’ve come across that way, I apologize.”
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